The Meeting Place progress

Right on the old boundary between Hove and Brighton and on the beach, sits a much loved cafe - The Meeting Place. It’s been through several transformations during nearly a century of serving teas, and is currently close to re-emerging in its new build form, modern, sleek and designed to fit aesthetically within the location.

Originally established in the 1930s a few feet on the Hove side of the boundary, the Meeting Place cafe was little more than a small wooden kiosk. In 2002, due to preservation orders preventing expansion on the Hove side, the café relocated a few feet east to a new building on the Brighton side of the border. Over the years, the cafe has featured in several books, films, and TV dramas, including the television series Poirot. A documentary was produced for the Brighton Festival, capturing the story of the beloved old kiosk before its demolition.

The establishment remained under the same ownership until 2021, when it was bought by Hikmet Tabak and Bulent Ekinci. The duo put forward plans to rebuild the cafe as a two-storey building with a roof terrace, but this was opposed by The Conservation Advisory Group and deemed too large and intrusive. The plans were revised significantly - by dropping the two-storey design and roof terrace, reducing the floor space, and decreasing the seating capacity. These plans were approved in June 2023, and construction started a year ago this weekend - see the cafe’s Facebook page (scroll down for a feast of cakes and other dishes). Architectural plans, maps and proposed visuals are all available in the council’s planning proposal documents.

In a statement (reported in the local news) prepared by the owner’s agent, Lewis and Co Planning, the applicants said: ‘To preserve the important character of the conservation area, the proposed cafe would be single storey in height so as not obstruct the sweeping views along the seafront and towards the Regency terraces and squares. As the proposal would replace the existing, somewhat dated and tired-looking cafe, it is considered that there would be a neutral impact on the setting. Although the footprint would be larger, the proposed replacement building has been designed with simple clean lines and finished in a muted colour palette to reduce the potential for it to compete visually with the Edward VII Memorial [Peace statue], the setting of which provides for clear views of the statue against expansive skies and the sea.’

Construction is nearing completion as can be seen by the top photo from recent days. In the meantime, a temporary structure a few feet to the west - a brief return for the cafe to Hove and to its more basic roots! - has been doing good business. The chalkboard menu offers gourmet burgers and fine illustrations.

  

Odd one out

One of these photographs is not of Brighton Beach pebbles. But which is the odd one out, and why? 

Thanks to Gary ©gwpriester Eyetricks for one of these.

Incredulous and angry

Oh the irony, the i360 irony! Brighton & Hove Council has agreed to release the security on its £51m loan debt and rolled-up interest in the failed i360 business. Concerted efforts were made to find a buyer before it went into administration late last year - see i360 stranded sky with sky high debts - but without success. Writing off the debt, the council concluded in an urgent meeting last night, was the only way forward, leaving the administrators, Interpath Advisory, free to negotiate with an as-yet unnamed buyer.

A full report of the council meeting and write-off decision can viewed at the Brighton & Hove News website. The council leader Bella Sankey was reported as saying: ‘If the i360 can operate again then it can help bring in business rates. And if we proceed with the recommended buyer that has come forward, the city council will get a small share of future revenues. While this may be the least-worst option, I understand why residents are so incredulous that this situation has come to pass - I’m incredulous and angry.’

Sankey also suggested that a derelict i360 would become like the West Pier but without its ‘rugged rustiness’ loved by many. The ironies of this situation, of course, are as visible as the i360 tower itself. Part of the rationale for the original project was that it would generate funds for the West Pier Trust, which owns the West Pier ruin and the land on which the i360 sits, and that it could lead to a rebuilding of the West Pier - ha ha! Now, though, the rusting West Pier still stands, a warning to all those involved with the i360 of where abandonment can lead. And yet, that abandoned infrastructure has also deteriorated, one might say, into one of Brighton’s major tourist attractions.

It is worth noting this from the council’s report to last night’s meeting: ‘Restarting operation of the attraction is important, and not just for the visitor economy. Any option that sees the attraction abandoned would result in a significant and extremely visible blight - not just to the beach but in key views across the whole city. The practical reality is that demolition of the attraction could, potentially, end up falling to the council and could also come at considerable cost.’

And here is the (rather optimistic) conclusion to that report: ‘The i360 has been a catalyst for regeneration benefits in that part of the seafront, and it has positively contributed to the city’s tourism economy since 2016. However, these benefits have come at considerable cost to the public purse, and the money could have been used to deliver other public benefit. The new owners come with a clean slate and are not linked to the previous ownership and are not in any way responsible for the previous harm to the public purse. As such they and the i360 should be supported to be a success so has the potential to generate revenue that the city council will share into the future.’

We wait to learn who next will take on the sky-high attraction. (NB: The photograph above dates from 10 years ago during the construction phase - does it bring a headless chicken to mind?) 

The Pavilion pivots 90°

Two hundred years ago, give or take a few months, this incredible image of Brighthelmstone beach and town was engraved by William Bernard Cooke after a watercolour painted the year before by the great John Mallard William Turner. The original watercolour is owned by Brighton & Hove Museums, though is not on permanent display because it cannot be exposed to light for very long.

After having been in private collections since 1830, the original watercolour came up at an auction in New York in 2012, and was purchased with help from the Art Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and private patrons. An essay on the painting by Dr Alexandra Loske, Art Historian and Curator at the Royal Pavilion, is available on the Museums website. She explains: ‘It was of utmost importance to secure this gem, as it is one of the few paintings by Turner that shows the Royal Pavilion.[. . .] In our watercolour Turner took a few compositional liberties for the sake of the ‘picturesque’ appeal of the image, for example turning the Pavilion by about 90 degrees to ensure the whole of its east front can be seen.’

Loske continues: ‘Compared to other paintings of Brighton by Turner our watercolour provides a surprising amount of detail. Many buildings of Brighton can be identified, among them St Nicholas’s Church, the Duke of York’s hotel, and Marine Parade under construction. The most prominent building is the recently finished Chain Pier, a bold cast-iron structure that seems to be withstanding strong waves and stormy conditions and is gleaming in the sunlight. It pushes its way into the composition with all the pride and confidence we see a few years later in other great cast iron structures, such as railway bridges and stations.’

The painting is both small and detailed because it was meant to be engraved, as it was, in 1825, by Cooke. He used this and other Turner originals to illustrate his book Picturesque Views of the Southern Coast of England (freely available to view at Googlebooks). 

Prints based on the watercolour - such as my own, which, as you can see, I’ve so artfully photographed against the white iron railings of the pier and the white foamy waves beyond - were also published individually.

Art, activism, and advocacy

Found on a beach bench in Hove - a mermaid, exquisitely painted on stone. On the back is written: ‘Mermaid by PR. Please visit Morgan Rocks on FBook + post a pic + Re Hide. Thanks.’

Morgan’s Rocks is an initiative of Morgan’s Army, a South Wales charity supporting families of children diagnosed with cancer. Morgan Ridler was but two and a half when diagnosed with a large adrenal tumour in 2021. Despite an initially successful treatment, the cancer returned, and soon spread. Tragically, Morgan died in June 2023. His parents, Natalie and Matthew Ridler, established Morgan’s Army with the aim of ensuring that no child or family faces the battle against cancer alone. There’s more about the organisation on Facebook.

The Morgan’s Rocks campaign is ‘a global stone-painting initiative’ designed to raise awareness for childhood cancer and spread Morgan’s legacy. These rocks, each unique and heartfelt, are hidden to be discovered and re-discovered, with the aim of creating ‘a global tapestry of solidarity and awareness’. 

‘As these stones travel far and wide,’ the organisation says, ‘they carry with them Morgan’s legacy, ensuring that his story and the broader narrative of childhood cancer reach every corner of the world. It’s a beautiful blend of art, activism, and advocacy.’ The many journeys of these painted stones can be followed on Facebook.

Meanwhile, this mermaid, has been re-perched, on Brighton Beach, ready for her next adventure. 

The beaching of ‘Athina B’

Forty-five years ago today, Brighton Beach saw one of its most astonishing spectacles on record: the beaching of the merchant vessel Athina B, just east of the Palace Pier. Having suffered engine failure, the 3,500t vessel remained on the pebbles for a month, becoming a tourist attraction, and needing a police presence to deter looting. After the cargo had been removed by a mobile crane, she was refloated and towed to a scrapyard, Medway Secondary Metals, Kent, where she was scrapped. Her anchor, however, was eventually presented to the local authority, and given a plinth on the promenade close by where the ship had been beached.  

The Athina B had had a mixed history. Built in Hiroshima and named Kojima Maru, she was launched in 1968. She was then re-named twice before being reflagged (Greece) and re-named yet again, Athina B. 

The vessel had left the Azores on 1 December laden with 3,000t of pumice (which has widespread uses in agriculture, construction and manufacturing) heading for Shoreham-on-Sea. On route, however, she developed faults with the generator, gyro compass and radar, and stopped at La Rochelle for repairs. She arrived at Shoreham on 20 January but high winds meant she was unable to enter the harbour. Her engines failed, and a Mayday call was issued. Four lifeboat missions were required to rescue the crew and the captain’s family. Coxswain Ken Voice led the operations in the Shoreham lifeboat, Dorothy and Philip Constance, and was later awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for his bravery. The vessel, herself, began drifting east, eventually beaching on the pebbles five miles east of the harbour entrance.

The spectacle quickly attracted tourists, local and from further afield. British Rail advertised special away-day trips to see the wreck and Volks Electric Railway ran a special out-of-season service. Some of the visitors have recorded their memories on the My Brighton and Hove website. Gerry Hay, for example, says: ‘I was a Brighton cop at the time. I came out of the Palace Pier Police box early hours having had a ‘break’, only to see the ship on the beach. Thought it was a bad dream.’

And Mike Robe, who was in fact the captain’s brother-in-law, remembers there were lifeboat crewman injured: ‘It seems a hell of a long time ago now. However, I can remember every single part of it to this day, so it must have made an impression on me and indeed all of us that took part in the rescue. And there were many of us: two Lifeboats and shore helpers, coastguards, police, ambulances, Shoreham Community Centre, and W.R.V.S. Tug Meeching. It was a combined effort by all the services. Many people don’t realise that there were Lifeboat crewmen injured aboard the Newhaven Lifeboat that night.’

Various photographs of the wreck to be found online. The top one above was taken by Clive Warneford and can be viewed on Wikipedia; and the one below it is a photograph donated to Brighton & Hove Museums. 

The aging plaque on the anchor reads: ‘The Athina B was beached in a storm at this point on the night of 21st January 1980. Her crew were successfully taken off without loss of life thanks to the bravery of the men of the Shoreham Lifeboat. In a major salvage operation her cargo was discharged and the ship was refloated on the 17th February 1980. The ship’s anchor was presented by Medway Secondary Metals Limited in whose yard the ship was finally broken up. John Leach - Mayor of Brighton, 26th September 1980’

New BrightTEN running event

Brighton Beach hosted, for the first time yesterday, Sunday, a ‘BrighTEN (Brighton) Seafront Run’ organised by UK Running Events Ltd. The company describes itself as specialising in mass participation running events across the UK. It’s most well-known for managing ‘Inflatable 5k’, ‘the world’s largest inflatable obstacle race’. This has already been put on in more than 20 locations around the country - and will be coming to Brighton in October.

More than a 1,000 people took part in yesterday’s run, an event ‘designed to help participants kickstart their New Year resolutions and to include scenic routes past landmarks such as the historical Burnt Down Pier, the iconic i360 Tower, and the Hove Promenade’. Indeed, the run routes - 10 mile and 10 km - took in more or less the whole extent of Brighton Beach starting and finishing on Hove Lawns. The 10 mile run was won by Sam Cook with a time of 55:15 while James Brewster and Lewis Reeves came second and third respectively. The 10 km was won by Joe Halter with a time of 36:51.

UK Running Events Ltd was founded in 2016, and currently has two directors: Martin James Barden and Jayne Louise Barden. Its estimated turnover as of December 2023 was given as £282,000. Two further events for Brighton are planned this year: Trail runs (through the South Downs and along the coast) of 50 mile, 50 km and 23 km, on 13 September; and the Inflatable 5K on 18 October. (‘Run Rebel’ - as in the photo of yesterday’s podium - appears to be a brand name for the company’s trail runs.)

Assuming BrighTEN continues to operate next year, it will join a growing list of annual running events in the city. These include Brighton Marathon (April), Brighton Half Marathon (March), and Race for Life Brighton (June).